Guided pin and plunger

Abstract

An intercoupling component used to couple an array of electrical connection regions disposed on a first substrate to an array of electrical connection regions disposed on a second substrate. The intercoupling component includes an insulative support member including an array of holes extending therethrough, the array of holes located in a pattern corresponding to the array of electrical connection regions on the first substrate; and a plurality of terminals. Each terminal includes a socket including a socket head and a socket body, the socket defining a socket cavity; a pin including a pin head and a pin body, the pin head positioned within one of the array of holes, the pin body extending from the pin head and received at least partially within the socket cavity; and a resilient member configured to bias the socket head is biased away from the pin head.

1 . An intercoupling component used to couple an array of electrical connection regions disposed on a first substrate to an array of electrical connection regions disposed on a second substrate, the intercoupling component comprising:
 an insulative support member including an array of holes extending therethrough, the array of holes located in a pattern corresponding to the array of electrical connection regions on the first substrate; and   a plurality of terminals, each terminal including:
 a socket including a socket body extending from a socket head, the socket defining a socket cavity within the socket body; 
 a pin including a pin body extending from a pin head, the pin head positioned within one of the array of holes and contacting the insulative member, the pin body at least partially received within the socket cavity; and 
 a resilient member configured to bias the socket head away from the pin head. 
   
   
   
       2 . The intercoupling component of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient member comprises electrically conductive material and forms part of a first electrically conductive path between the array of electrical connection regions disposed on the first substrate to the array of electrical connection regions disposed on the second substrate. 
   
   
       3 . The intercoupling component of  claim 2 , wherein contact between the pin and the socket forms part of a second electrically conductive path between the array of electrical connection regions disposed on the first substrate to the array of electrical connection regions disposed on the second substrate. 
   
   
       4 . The intercoupling component of  claim 3 , wherein the pin body comprises a protrusion extending radially outward from a cylindrical portion of the pin body. 
   
   
       5 . The intercoupling component of  claim 4 , wherein the socket body comprises a protrusion extending into the socket cavity. 
   
   
       6 . The intercoupling component of  claim 1 , wherein each hole includes a first section having a first diameter and a second section having a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter. 
   
   
       7 . The intercoupling component of  claim 6 , wherein the pin head is press-fit within the first section of a corresponding hole. 
   
   
       8 . The intercoupling component of  claim 6 , wherein the pin head is press-fit within the second section of the corresponding hole. 
   
   
       9 . The intercoupling component of  claim 1 , wherein the pin head comprises a proximal contacting surface. 
   
   
       10 . The intercoupling component of  claim 9 , wherein the proximal contacting surface comprises a ball-shaped end. 
   
   
       11 . The intercoupling component of  claim 1 , wherein the socket head comprises a concave ball-contacting surface. 
   
   
       12 . The intercoupling component of  claim 1 , wherein the socket head comprises a sharp protrusion extending from a contacting surface. 
   
   
       13 . The intercoupling component of  claim 1 , wherein a lateral distance between centers of adjacent holes is less than about 0.8 millimeter. 
   
   
       14 . The intercoupling component of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient member comprises a coiled spring. 
   
   
       15 . The intercoupling component of  claim 14 , wherein the coiled spring has a coil diameter of less than about 0.005 inch. 
   
   
       16 . The intercoupling component of  claim 15 , wherein the coiled spring has a coil diameter of less than about 0.0025 inch. 
   
   
       17 . The intercoupling component of  claim 1 , wherein the socket comprises a contact spring disposed within the socket cavity. 
   
   
       18 . The intercoupling component of  claim 17 , wherein the pin body comprises an enlarged end and the pin is received into the socket such that the contact spring engages sides of the pin body between the pin head and the enlarged end. 
   
   
       19 . The intercoupling component of  claim 17 , wherein the contact spring comprises a first spring end and a second spring end, the first spring end having a greater diameter than the second spring end, the first spring end disposed nearer the pin head than the second spring end. 
   
   
       20 . A terminal for use with an integrated circuit package having an array of electrical connection regions disposed on a first substrate, the terminal comprising:
 a socket including a socket body extending from a socket head, a socket cavity formed within the socket, and a socket retaining element disposed on an opposite end of the socket body from the socket head;   a pin including a pin body extending from a pin head, the pin body at least partially received within the socket cavity; and   a resilient member configured to bias the socket away from the pin head.   
   
   
       21 . The terminal of  claim 20 , wherein the socket retaining element comprises projections extending outward from an outer surface of the socket body. 
   
   
       22 . The terminal of  claim 20 , wherein the socket retaining element comprises projections extending inward from an inner surface of the socket body. 
   
   
       23 . The terminal of  claim 20 , wherein the socket retaining element comprises a contact spring disposed within the socket cavity, the contact spring having a first spring end and a second spring end, the first spring end having a greater diameter than the second spring end, the first spring end disposed nearer the pin head than the second spring end. 
   
   
       24 . The terminal of  claim 23 , wherein the pin body comprises an enlarged end and the pin is received into the socket such that the contact spring engages sides of the pin body between the pin head and the enlarged end. 
   
   
       25 . The terminal of  claim 20 , wherein the socket head comprises an open end of the socket body. 
   
   
       26 . The terminal of  claim 25 , wherein the socket head further comprises a contacting element inserted into the open end of the socket body with a press-fit engagement between contacting element and the socket body. 
   
   
       27 . The terminal of  claim 20 , wherein the resilient member provides a conductive path between the pin and the socket. 
   
   
       28 . The terminal of  claim 20 , wherein the resilient member comprises a coiled spring. 
   
   
       29 . The terminal of  claim 20 , wherein the pin body comprises a protrusion extending radially outward from a cylindrical portion of the pin body. 
   
   
       30 . A method of assembling an intercoupling component used to couple an array of electrical connection regions disposed on a first substrate to an array of electrical connection regions disposed on a second substrate, the method comprising:
 providing an insulative support member including an array of holes extending therethrough, the array of holes located in a pattern corresponding to the array of electrical connection regions on the first substrate;   inserting a socket into each of the array of holes;   inserting a pin having a pin body extending from a pin head into each of the array of holes such that the pin head contacts the insulative support member; and   inserting a resilient member into each of the array of holes;   such that, after the socket, the pin, and the resilient member are inserted, the resilient member is interposed between the pin head and the socket and the pin body is received within a socket cavity defined within the socket.